1. Field of the Invention
In general, the present invention relates to release mechanisms for automobile trunks that enable the trunk to be opened from inside the trunk. More particularly, the present invention relates to the activation mechanism of such internal trunk release mechanisms.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Every year, many children accidently become locked in the trunk of an automobile. Unfortunately, some of these children die from suffocation, hypothermia or hyperthermia. In many modern automobiles, the automobile has a trunk latch that is operated by an electric solenoid. Such automobiles have buttons on their dashboards or in their glove box compartments that enable the trunk of that automobile to be opened without a key. Children playing in an automobile may accidently or purposely press the trunk release button and open the trunk of that automobile. Once the trunk is open, that child or another child can climb into the open trunk and pull the trunk closed. Once inside the trunk, the child becomes trapped and cannot escape until the trunk is again opened by another person.
Recognizing the hazards of the problem, numerous inventors and companies have engineered trunk latch mechanisms with safety releases. Accordingly, the prior art is replete with different types of trunk latching mechanisms that enable a person to open an automobile trunk from within the closed trunk.
When an automobile trunk is closed, the interior of the trunk is very dark. Accordingly, a child can easily become disoriented within a locked trunk. Such a child may not find the release mechanism within the trunk. If a child cannot find and/or use the release mechanism in the darkness of a closed trunk, then the release mechanism serves no useful purpose.
Internal trunk release mechanisms exist for the one time in a million that a person becomes locked in a trunk. This means that for most people, the internal trunk release mechanism will never be used. However, the trunk of an automobile is used thousands of times to hold a countless number of other objects. An internal trunk release mechanism must be accessible so that a child can find it in the dark. However, the internal trunk release mechanism cannot be so obtrusive that it interferes with the normal usage of the trunk. For example, many people put things in their trunks that are unsecured. This means that these objects move around in the trunk of the automobile as the automobile is in motion. A trunk release mechanism can not be positioned in a manner that enables a moving object to contact the trunk release mechanism and accidently open the trunk of the moving automobile.
A need therefore exists for an internal trunk release mechanism that can be readily located in the dark, readily operated by a small child yet is resistant to accidental activation. This need is met by the present invention as described and claimed below.
The present invention is an automobile trunk latch system. The system includes a latching mechanism that is selectively positionable between a locked condition and an open condition. The latching mechanism is opened either by a mechanical lever or an electric solenoid that is coupled to the latching mechanism, wherein the lever or solenoid is capable of selectively opening the latching mechanism. If the latching mechanism contains a solenoid, an illuminated switch is provided within the automobile trunk. The illuminated switch is electrically connected to the solenoid, wherein, when activated, the illuminated switch causes the solenoid to open the latching mechanism.
If the latching mechanism is operated by a mechanical lever, the handle of the lever is made to be illuminated. The handle can be either internally illuminated or photoluminescent. As such, the latching mechanism can be easily identified and operated in a dark locked trunk.